Thursday, May 28, 2009

The Pink Floyd and Syd Barrett Story is a documentary released on DVD on 24 March 2003, produced by Otmoor Productions in 2001 as part of the BBC's Omnibus series and originally called Syd Barrett: Crazy Diamond (in the US, a slightly modified version aired as the last episode of VH1's Legends series in January, 2002). Directed by John Edginton, the film includes interviews with all the Pink Floyd members - Roger Waters, David Gilmour, Nick Mason and Rick Wright - plus the "fifth Pink Floyd", Bob Klose, who left the band in 1965. The film includes rare early television appearances of Pink Floyd and home movies.

In 2006 a new "definitive edition DVD" was produced in the UK and Europe in which the full unedited interviews conducted by the director with Pink Floyd are now made available, alongside the original documentary.

The focus of the film is Syd Barrett, the lead guitarist of the early Pink Floyd, who created their unique psychedelic sound and all the band's early songs, including the singles "Arnold Layne" and "See Emily Play" and much of their first album The Piper at the Gates of Dawn.

Syd Barrett's name passed into rock folklore when he quit Pink Floyd in 1968 and, after two extraordinary but erratic solo albums, disappeared from music altogether amid rumours of a drug-induced breakdown.

The Pink Floyd and Syd Barrett Story has contributions from Humble Pie drummer Jerry Shirley (who played on Syd Barrett's two solo albums The Madcap Laughs and Barrett as well as Syd's final London concert on 6 June 1970 with David Gilmour, when Barrett abruptly left the stage after playing only four numbers), bassist Jack Monck who played at Syd's last ever public concert in 1972 at the Cambridge Corn Exchange, producer Joe Boyd who produced Arnold Layne, photographer Mick Rock who photographed Barrett for The Madcap Laughs cover, and artist Duggie Fields who shared an apartment in London's Earls Court with Barrett in 1968 and witnessed his changing mental state at close hand.

According to his sister, Barrett actually watched the documentary when it was broadcast on the BBC. He apparently found it "too loud", although he did enjoy seeing Mike Leonard, who he referred to as his "teacher". He also enjoyed hearing "See Emily Play" again.